In a final push to attract voters and display his image of a moderate Republican, U.S. Senate hopeful Gabriel Gomez appeared at a rally with former U.S. Senator Scott Brown.
It was a hero’s welcome for Scott Brown, who insisted on shining light on Gabriel Gomez, a former Navy SEAL turned businessman.
“I’m so honored to see each and every one of you, a lot of familiar faces here. I will never forget the love and support you gave me and I’m asking you to do the same thing for Gabe Gomez,” Brown said to the crowd.
The Common Market Restaurant in Quincy was packed with Gomez supporters, and Brown spoke passionately, calling Gomez a “clear choice” for a bipartisan future in Washington.
“This moment in time... they come around very, very rarely," Brown said. "To have an opportunity to send a new United States senator down to Washington, somebody who’s an independent voter, an independent thinker, somebody who’s going to use his head and not be beholden to any of the special interests that you see knocking on your door and running negative ads”
That enthusiastic applause also greeted Gomez, who appeared with his wife and four children. In an effort to connect with voters, he described himself to the crowd through the lens of his parents, who are Colombian immigrants. He told the crowd that his parents never dreamed he would become a Navy SEAL, attend Harvard Business School, or become a candidate for United States Senate.
Gomez spoke more generally about what he plans to do in Washington.
“We need to go down there and get rid of the cynicism, get rid of the fiscal mismanagement, and more importantly get rid of the hyper partisanship that is preventing our members of Congress down there to reach across the aisle, work together and do what’s right for the people of Massachusetts and for the United States,” he said to the crowd.
Gomez acknowledged the recent announcement from Secretary of State William Galvin that voter turnout is expected to be less than 37 percent. He said it’s crucial that his supporters get to the polls.
Kimberly Mitchell, of Quincy, was a Gomez supporter who promised to go to the polls.
“I just think that he’s the kind of role model that we want our children to look up to. An honest, hardworking man, family man, a hero to our children,” he said.
But if Gomez is a hero, then why has the national Republican party been slow to back him – in person and financially? After the rally, I waited for Scott Brown at his green pickup truck to ask him why it’s taken him so long to endorse Gomez.
“Publicly this is the first time I’ve been asked to endorse him," Brown said. "I’m here to help and I’m glad we’ve been able to help.”
Brown left without further comment. Shortly after, Gomez left with his family, to visit another Quincy to meet voters and to watch the Bruins game.
